31st January 2020
Had a great time ringing at Tanji reserve where we trapped this African Pygmy Kingfisher
Two nights ago, I went for stroll, only a few minutes from the digs and heard a White-faced Scops Owl. One of the two that Graham has heard in the last few nights. As I approached the crossroads, I could hear something rustling in the Cashews and at very close range in the head touch, was the Senegal Bushbaby.
This morning at 06.00, I was making my ways to Sanyang to catch a bus taxi to Tanji Reserve where Chris Lamsdale is ringing. At the crossroads, I caught two big eyes on the deck, blinking. It had to be a nightjar as it reminded me of how I found the Poorwills on the ground in the Purivian Amazon at manu Learning Center where the so called experts, who were teaching me and other volunteers, how to identify the wildlife in the Amazon Rain forest. They couldn’t tell a butterfly from a moth, they couldn’t identify any of the birds, including in the garden where I lived for six weeks and they didn’t really care about the deforestation that was taking place all around the reserve that was being protected from slash and burn. Protected by the likes of McDonald’s. One of the main culprits of deforestation in the Amazon. Every time you spend in buying the rubbish they produce in their outlets, you contribute to the destruction in the Amazon. Now your aware of McDonald’s stripping the forest down and if you really care about the environment, like everyone says they do, then the simple solution is not to spend any money at the burger joint.
Here’s is a link to my blog where I experienced the deforestation at first hand in the Peruvian Amazon and also McDonald’s involvement in the destruction. http://scillyspider.blogspot.com/search?q=McDonald%27s
Back to the eyes reflecting from my head touch. The idea that it was a nightjar was wiped out when it suddenly jumped onto the side of a tree and moved pretty fast through the branches and towards me as I followed it with my light. It was the Senegal Bushbaby again but I had to get a move on and every time I looked back, it was never far away until I walked out into the open again away from the trees. I also had a Pearl-spotted Owl nearing Sanyang in the head touch.
At 08.00, the tide was stopping me from getting to where I wanted to go but while on the beach there were single Oystercatcher and Black-headed Gull. I moved in land and came across a family of Stone Partidge and finally joined the ringing group at 08.30 when they had just trapped a Senegal Parrot. I left that one to them but was upset when I discovered they released a male Sunalpine Warbler ten minutes before I arrived. The same thing happened to me three year ago at Gibraltar Rock observatory when I missed out on a male Subalpine Warbler by ten minutes. At Tanji and three hours later the nets came down and up close in the hand the highlights were Caspian Tern, Senegal Coucal, 2 Nightingale, 3 Yellow-crowned Gonolek and a stunning African Pygmy Kingfisher.
Western Olivaceous warbler
Splended Sunbird
Nightingale
Grey-backed Camaroptera
Brown Babbler
Yellow-crowned Gonolek
Caspian Tern
Chris and the ringing group packed up and returned to the eco-lodge nearby. I continued to bird and hawking with the 30 Blue-cheeked Bee-eater were 6 Fanta Saw-wing and 2 Mottled Spinetail. I crossed the highway where I had time to see a pair of western Violet-backed Sunbird.
I had to go and get my visa extended at Senegambia stipe as my 28 days were up tomorrow. The policeman must of liked me as he extended my stay to March 20th at the same price as paying for a one month stay, 1000 Dalasi. With that sorted, on the return home, just before dark and a few minutes from reaching te digs at the crossroads, a Double-banded Sandgrouse flashed by at some pace and at close range heading NW.
There were up to 6 Fanta Saw-wing
Male and female Western Violet- backed Sunbird
Yellow-crowned Gonolek
African Grey Hornbill
SCILLYSPIDER 2 